Practice:• Development of a personal path toward informed, humane educational practice• Development of a personal path for self-assessment and growth• Development of a personal path of disciplined inquiry

1.2 Impact on the Field

As a professional school, the Faculty of Education is committed to maintaining connections to the field. The Master of Education program has been designed to promote a spirit of continuous improvement and to enhance professional practice. We strive to do so in the following ways:

By including students as part of a collaborative research culture By advancing educational thought and practice through research, publications, and conferences By challenging graduate students to return to the field and apply their skills and knowledge to their organizations and to their professional practice By maintaining a visible presence in the field through professional development and consulting services By becoming a model organization for collegial and democratic deliberation and student empowerment

1.3 Student Characteristics

We aim to attract and develop students who wish to develop skills in critiquing and creating knowledge. By providing a high-quality academic program and a dynamic research environment we seek to attract well qualified graduate students to participate in a variety of professional growth activities. We make extra effort to attract international students, students from visible minorities, practitioners, as well as full-time graduate students, so that a variety of perspectives can be cultivated.

Throughout the program, students are encouraged to develop their capacity in a variety of ways. The following are some examples of how students might expect to develop through their academic work:

To become reflective practitioners who are able to reconceptualize and reorganize educational practice. To challenge existing practice by developing the ability to ask and answer probing and important educational questions. To become creators of knowledge as well as informed consumers of knowledge To take on leadership roles and positions of added responsibility. To prepare for entry into doctoral/advanced studies and on-going research and publication.

1.4 Broad Impacts of Academic Study

It is anticipated that the academic work of the students and faculty members will generate reform and challenge educators in at least four ways:

By contributing to an ongoing critique and support of the profession By being involved in addressing societal problems By operating at the cutting edge of intellectual and moral issues in the field By contributing skill sets and knowledge for the empowerment of individuals